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• Updated Jun 17, 2026 at 9:19pm

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CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: JR Smith #5 and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react to a call against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Former NBA player JR Smith has confirmed that LeBron James is still upset at him over the infamous mistake in the 2018 NBA Finals. James delivered one of the best games of his career in an effort to lead his lackluster Cleveland Cavaliers squad against the dominant Golden State Warriors team. Unfortunately, the epic Game 1 performance ended with a loss in overtime. Smith could have called a timeout to give them a chance to win in regulation, but he forgot the score.

A recent quote from Smith confirmed that LeBron has never forgiven him for the mistake:

“He was hot. He was legitimately confused cause he didn’t understand what was happening right now? And I looked at I’m literally looking at him…. like, ‘Bro, this is your job. You have to like that’s why you don’t get the big bucks. They don’t pay me enough for this s–t, right? We never talked about that. He’s still mad. He is still mad. Oh, he’s so mad, still mad.”

Smith also shared that he was waiting for James to call the timeout as the leader of the team and the best overall player in the world. However, LeBron signaled too late after expecting Smith to call the timeout holding the ball. Smith’s biggest point here is that James refuses to talk about this and remains upset over the mistake.

Why This Was LeBron’s Angriest NBA Moments

It is rare to see the emotions of a close game causing LeBron to show his anger on the court, but that happened here. Most of James’ other angry moments on the court feature a dirty play or the potential risk of injury from another player’s action.

This was a unique scenario of LeBron getting livid due to another player’s mistake. A viral moment came after the play to show James dead silent on the bench while the Cavaliers prepared to play five extra minutes in overtime.

Kevin Love tried to get LeBron more engaged, but he was so upset that he couldn’t speak or even look in Smith’s direction. The series saw Cleveland being the strong underdog against a Warriors squad with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. James knew losing Game 1 ruined their chances of winning the series and was proven right with the Golden State sweep.

LeBron Did Give JR Smith Another Chance

Smith sharing that LeBron never fully forgave for the embarrassing mistake is a fascinating look into James’ mindset. However, this doesn’t mean that LeBron hated Smith forever when looking back at their careers.

The Los Angeles Lakers added Smith to the 2020 roster for a secondary bench role during the NBA Championship run led by James and Anthony Davis. Smith would not have made that roster if LeBron did not want to team with him again.

James was over the mistake enough to let Smith join a team that he had a lot of influence on behind the scenes. However, the anger over the infamous moment was strong enough for them to never actively discuss it together.